Honda Classic Motorcycles

In 1949, Honda manufactured
our first commercial motorcycle, the "Dream
Type D," in Japan; in 1963, they opened
their first overseas plant, in Belgium.
Ever since, Honda has followed one basic
rule: build products close to the customer.

The Honda P50 (known as the P25 in some
markets) was introduced in June 1966.
It earns a place in history as being the
last motor-wheel moped design by Honda
(and probably by any other large manufacturer).

It features a step-through frame made
from steel pressings, leading-link front
suspension, plastic mudguard and chainguard.
The fuel tank is located above the rear
mudguard. The key distinguishing feature
of the design is the 50cc engine being
located at the extreme lower left rear
of the frame, with all its components
housed within the large hub of the rear
wheel. Like other Honda mopeds of the
time, the engine is a 4-stroke.

1967 Honda P50

Apart from the Chinese Flying Pigeon
(a cycle-attachment knock-off of the
Cyclemaster engine) the P50 was the
last Cyclemaster-styled machine to be
produced, and it is always interesting
to see a Japanese version of any British
machine - because it invariably works
a lot better than the original. This
being a 4-stroke, it is certainly the
case here.

A rare early C100 model, registered
new in Gloucester, on 1st April 1966.

The Honda Cub debuted in 1958, 10
years after the establishment of Honda
Motor Co. Ltd. The name ‘Cub’
was said to be the acronym of Cheap
Urban Bike because the development
of this model was aimed to provide
a kind of cheap urban transportation
in busy cities. The name also likely
refers to the earlier Piper Cub, an
affordable and extremely popular light
aircraft from the 1930s possessing
many of the same mechanical qualities
of the Honda bike (note that improved
versions of the Piper Cub were also
called Super Cubs).

In 1961, the FIM (Fédération
Internationale Motocycliste) announced
that the world championships for the
following year would include a 50
cc category.
For the Japanese manufacturers who
were starting to invade the European
market this development offered an
opportunity which could not be missed
and Honda came out with its first
50 cc privateer, the CR 110.

The engine suspended from the frame
is a 4 stroke single twin overhead
cam with four valves and pinion distribution
. 5 speed gearbox and a multi disk
dry clutch. The bike weighs in at
59 kg and reaches 140 km/h and develops
8,5 hp @ 14 000 rpm.

1974 Honda CR125M Elsinore

This is the first year of production
silver and green tank model. It stil
has the original tank, fenders, side
covers, and seat cover.

The diminutive 125 twin cylinder
Honda CB 92 was launched in the days
when the BSA Bantam was the standard
by which others were judged, and it
represented the first of a generation
of motorcycles that was destined to
become dominant throughout the world.

Introduced in the spring of 1962
the CR93 was offered in two guises,
the familiar racing version and a
fully equipped road going variant.
In road going form the machine produced
16.5bhp at 11,500 rpm, however, in
racing form the machine produced 20
bhp at 11,500 rpm and was safe to
13,000 rpm thanks in part to the four-valve
per cylinder technology that it inherited
from the works machines.
Costing £609 the machine was
equipped with a five speed gearbox
and wet sump lubrication. The twin
cylinder engine featured a 360 degree
crankshaft with the drive being taken
to the gearbox by a geared primary
drive. It rapidly established itself
as the machine to have in the 125cc
short circuit class, dominating it
until 1970 and the appearance of the
YAS1.

Image provided by www.classic-auctions.com.

1966 Honda CA150 Benly

1966 Honda Dream

150cc

1966 Honda CL160

1968 Honda CB160

CB bikes typically came with the
engine as a stressed part of the frame.
They had low exhaust pipes and were
geared for higher top end speed than
the CL model.

Its earlier smaller production number,
aluminum fenders, louvered chain guard,
steel forks, steel front foot pegs,
smaller brakes, smaller carburetors,
smaller engines, baffles instead of
a muffler. CL72s were made from 1962
to 1965 and CL77s were made from 1965
to 1967. There are far more CL77s out
there than the CL72s.

The NS250R's design and styling
was taken directly from the works
RS250R's of that era, a bike that
was cleaning up in GP's and eventually
allowed Freddie Spencer to win both
the 250 and 500 World GP titles in
the same season!

The Honda CB350 was a 325cc twin-cylinder,
four-stroke motorcycle produced by Honda
between 1968 and 1973. Its reliable
motor, coupled with dual Keihin carburetors
proved to be a popular design, becoming
the highest selling motorcycle in American
history, with 300,000 units sold. The
machine evolved cosmetically over the
course of its production, although engineering
changes were mainly limited to the introduction
of a hydraulic disk front brake on the
1973 CB 350G edition.

In the mid 80's each of the Japanese
manufacturers was represented in the
'two-stroke Daddy' class, Honda's
was the NS400R. It was never quite
as fast as the RG500 or the RG500
but it wasn't as likely to blow up
either and if you've ever been stranded
on the side of the road you soon learn
which is preferable. The NS is still
a fast and desirable bike and in this
paint scheme it is magnificent.

Frame: The frame
has been modified and is loosley
based on the Henning Honda - loads
of extra bracing giving a far more
rigid construction – is so
much stiffer than was, so can crank
it up with confidence when cornering.

Carburration:
The old Kei Hin CV carbs were junked
and replaced with 34mm Amal Mk 2
dual concentrics with velocity stacks.
The 60’s ‘Black Bomber’
tank has a big bore Norton fuel
tap fitted to feed these. I have
stacks of jets to re-tune if deemed
necessary.

Brakes: The forks
have been reversed and we now have
twin discs fed by a nissin master
cylinder with Goodrich braided hosing.
The twinning has meant the speedo
is now gone (but you know how quick
you’re going, don’t
you?). Rear brake is original hub
brake and not very good –
new shoes may improve.

Rearsets: Hand
built.

Electrics: More
than half the wiring loom has been
removed – it’s caused
me a headache over the years but
now is far more simple than ever
– check out the battery now
housed under tail piece. As you
can see there are no indicators,
nor are there any funny little lights
to tell you’re in neutral
or whatever!

This superb Honda RS 500 RW is one
of the last 3 cylinder 500 cc privateer
bikes distributed by HRC. This model
with an aluminium frame is complete,
original and in perfect mechanical and
general condition.